The push & pull of Asia

Push because no matter how great the people, Asia's not where I want to be. & yet, when it comes to medical care, it blows the US away.

Another Hashimoto's sufferer is a good friend of mine here, & she recommended a doctor I've seen others recommend, so I decided to go in today, because my old prescription is running out, & the former doctor is pretty lax & carefree about meds & dosages. I was still a little hypo last visit, yet the dosage didn't change, and I can't cut the pills much less than I do, though I think any rational human being would agree we laymen shouldn't be doing that shit ourselves.

Now that I have the national plan, I was less worried about the price, though this doctor was good enough to tell me the prices before I agreed to her suggested tests, which were multiple & surprising, because one I've never been offered before. So, aside from a blood & urine test, she offered & I agreed to a thyroid ultrasound & a uterus ultrasound, which was conducted inter-vaginally.

The ultrasound technician didn't sugarcoat, though she also probably wasn't apprised of my condition. She remarked that my thyroid is rather small & damaged, & while of course it is, it was still a little shocking to hear that. Uterus apparently is fine, except that it looks like my period may be coming early, since there was a thicker build-up of blood on the walls.

I brought the last test results I had, & while looking at it she said that my dosage is way too high, because while my T3 is low (the hormone the body uses), my T4 is high (this is the pill I take, & the body converts it to T3). So, my body isn't converting the T4 that well. One reason could be that it turns out that I'm anemic. I was asked the most remarkable question for a paleo person, namely: are you a vegetarian? Because I'm very low in vitamin B12. Having just looked up what foods are high in B12, I can see why: aside from my opting not to cook fish because I hate the smell & never feel like going to Lotte Mart, where the freshest fish is, it's mostly stuff I can't really eat: dairy and soy, as well as red meat, except apparently for pork, which only has 11 g per 3.5 oz. & the doctor said this, plus other things including stress for shit's sake, can interfere with my body properly converting T4 to T3. So in addition to a diet that is tailor-made to deprive me of sufficient nutrients, I also have high anxiety. I truly was made to be battling myself at all damned times.

Although I was charged 96,000 won more than I anticipated, I really can't complain about paying 196,000 (I'd guess about $170) for 2 ultrasounds plus blood & urine tests. The other bonus was that Dr. Park told me to contact the national insurance office to see if I as a foreigner qualify for the free annual pap smear & mammogram that any 40-year-old Korean woman would.

So I'm sure I'll have more to add next week, when the test results are in.